The present disclosure relates to procatalyst compositions containing a substituted amide ester, the incorporation of the same in catalyst compositions and the process of making olefin-based polymer using said catalyst compositions and the resultant olefin-based polymers produced therefrom.
Worldwide demand for olefin-based polymers continues to grow as applications for these polymers become more diverse and more sophisticated. Olefin-based polymers with broad molecular weight distribution (MWD), for example, find increasing applications in thermoforming; pipe-, foam-, blow-molding; and films. Known are Ziegler-Natta catalyst compositions for the production of olefin-based polymers, particularly propylene-based polymers, with broad MWD. Ziegler-Natta catalyst compositions typically include a procatalyst composed of a transition metal halide (i.e., titanium, chromium, vanadium) supported on a metal or metalloid compound, such as magnesium chloride or silica, the procatalyst complexed with a cocatalyst such as an organoaluminum compound. Production of olefin-based polymers with broad MWD produced by way of Ziegler-Natta catalysts, however, is typically limited to a single reactor process requiring rigorous process control and/or a series reactor process requiring multiple reactors.
Given the perennial emergence of new applications for olefin-based polymers, the art recognizes the need for olefin-based polymers with improved and varied properties. Desirable would be a Ziegler-Natta catalyst composition that produces olefin-based polymer, and propylene-based polymer in particular, with broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) with less process constraints and less equipment.